The UPR School of Medicine proposes to strengthen and increase the diversity of the biomedical and behavioral workforce for the 21 st century by establishing an "Endowed Health Services Research Center" at the School of Medicine at UPR. The focus and scope of this center will be to enhance the research agenda relative to the health disparities that impact Hispanics. The primary aims include: 1) to establish collaborative alliances with the Clinical Research Center, the Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Program, the School of Public Health's Biosocial Research Center, and the Diabetes Center for Research, Education and Medical Services; all located at the UPR Medical Sciences Campus; and 2) to provide research training opportunities in health services research to ten medical, graduate and postdoctoral students in competitive programs and projects sponsored by the UPR-HSRC by the year 2005. The research agenda will encompass: 1) the evaluation of the efficacy and effectiveness of health services; 2) the assessment of the quality of health care provided; 3) the improvement of quality of health care within the health system; 4) the assessment of the impact of community interventions on individual health status; and 5) the development and dissemination of best clinical practice guidelines based on research outcomes.